Started With a Whisper
by LOTSlover
Summary: One-shot prequel to Baby Makes Three and Raising Nicholas. It all started with a whisper, but quickly escalated from there and ended with Batman's jealousy getting the better of him, forcing him to finally admit he's in love with a certain Amazon Princess. Title for fic taken from "Everybody Talks" by Neon Trees.


****Ok, so I received some requests a while back wanting to know how Bruce and Diana actually hooked up before the events of Baby Makes Three. Finally got around to writing this one-shot prequel. Hope you all enjoy it! :)****

**Started With a Whisper**

It started with a whisper.

It always does. A whisper here…another whisper repeated there. Whispers behind closed doors, in the hallways…in the Monitor Womb, training rooms or the commissary. Whispers between friends and acquaintances, colleagues and lovers.

And it's in those whispers that rumors grow and morph, twisting and turning into something so unrecognizable that it turns into something completely different…an all new kind of gossip, creating a titillating frenzy of excitement that buzzes like a beehive all over the Watchtower.

And that's how it had begun this time around…

"_Have you noticed how much time Wonder Woman is spending with Superman lately?"_

"_Supes and Diana are quite chummy lately. What's up with that?"_

"_Why are Wondy and Supes always sitting all alone in the corner of the commissary together?"_

"_Wonder how Bats will handle Di's new relationship with Superman?"_

"_Batman is going to go ballistic when he finds out Wonder Woman is sleeping with Superman."_

"_Wasn't Wondy knocking boots with Bats? What is she doing with Supes now?"_

"_I guess they don't call it the mighty Trinity for nothing."_

A sudden slap up the back of Wally's head nearly shot the chocolate pudding right out of his mouth. "Are you crazy?" Shayera practically yelled as she sat down across the table from him. "Di is not sleeping with Bats and Superman. There's no three-way going on so get that out of your sick little mind right now."

"Alright…alright," Wally held up his hands in defense, swallowing hard. "It was just a working theory of mine."

"And not a very good one at that," Shay scowled at him, her gaze falling menacingly to her mace lying on the table beside her. "Leave the detective work to me or Batman because you suck at it."

"Well, you have to admit there is definitely something going on," Wally maintained with a dreamy grin that said he was still considering his new working theory.

"I never said there wasn't but it's definitely not that," Shay said, making a gagging face as she stuck out her tongue. "Di is far too pure and innocent for something as kinky as what you're thinking. Let her be with one man first before you hook up with two at the same time."

"I know," Wally replied distractedly. "That's what makes it such an awesome idea."

Wally narrowly missed another whop upside the head, sticking his tongue out with a smug sense of victory. It turned out to be a very fleeting sense of victory as he felt an unexpected yet familiar slap to the occipital region of his skull.

"Ouch!" Flash cringed, rubbing the back of his head as he turned to find Green Lantern sitting down beside him with his tray of food, a smirk on his lips. "What was that for?"

"You obviously just said something that deserved it," GL said. "So what did I miss? Any new gossip?"

"Just Flash trying to figure out what's going on between Diana, Superman, and Bats," Shay informed him, taking a bite of her sandwich. "He thinks Di's involved in a three way with them."

Flash suddenly grinned something goofy and totally juvenile as he turned to GL. "Hey, gives the term Justice League Trinity a whole new meaning doesn't it?"

John frowned at the Scarlet Speedster, obviously unimpressed with his deduction. "That's the lamest thing I've ever heard."

"Aw, come on, man!" Wally whined. "I thought it was quite clever."

"Why are you talking about them anyway?" GL asked.

"Haven't you heard?" Flash sat up straighter in his seat, almost as giddy as a five year old let loose in a candy store. "Wondy and Supes are sleeping together."

"What?" he scowled, incredulously. "Where in the world did you come up with that load of crap?"

"What are you talking about?" Wally nearly cried. "Have you been living under a rock for the last week, GL? It's all over the Watchtower!"

John looked to Shayera for a logical explanation, knowing that he wasn't going to get a good one from Flash. "Di's been spending a lot of time with Superman for the last week or so," Shayera explained with a lot less enthusiasm than Flash would've hoped for. "The rumor spreading around the Tower is that they're sleeping together now."

"And?" GL cocked an eyebrow, obviously unimpressed by the juicy tidbit of information.

"And? And?!" Flash exclaimed, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "Bats is going to go freaking bat-ballistic when he finds out. No one will be safe…especially not Superman."

"Di and Bats aren't even together," John said, taking a drink of his cola. "Although, I do have fifty bucks riding on the two of them hooking up by November."

"November?" Shay frowned in disbelief. "No way. It's going to be October easy."

"I'm telling you as much as I was rooting for Bats, I know for a fact that it's not going to happen at all now," Flash maintained, leaning in conspiratorially towards the other two and lowering his voice to a low whisper so as not to be detected by Meta ears. "I have new information, something that is going to rock both of your worlds."

At that moment, the doors of the commissary swooshed open, the formidable Dark Knight himself entering. His angular face was set like granite, his gauntleted hands curled into twin fists of barely contained fury.

He was obviously in a very dark brooding mood that seemed to darken even further as his cowled gaze suddenly fell on the other two thirds of the Trinity sitting cozily in the far corner of the commissary all by themselves, talking softly and laughing about something or other.

"What the hell?!" Shayera unexpectedly yelled loud enough to turn every single head in the commissary in her direction. She pulled back from the other two superheroes, her brown eyes wide in shock as she stared at the Scarlet Speedster in utter disbelief. "You are so full of…"

Suddenly realizing that she now had the attention of every single superhero in the very crowded room, Shayera quickly lowered her voice as she sunk lower in her chair.

Ignoring Hawkgirl's sudden outburst, Batman stormed towards the food line, snatching a cup from the tray with a fierce growl and nearly causing a junior Leaguer to wet his pants as he slinked away in abject terror from the source of his near full-on panic attack.

Filling his cup full of coffee, Batman turned and stormed out with a snarl on his lips, not even giving Clark or Diana another glance. With his exit, the commissary as a whole seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief, the room seeming to unexpectedly loose the frosty chill that his appearance had just created.

Wally sat back in his chair with a self-satisfied smirk on his lips as he folded his arms against his chest. "What did I tell you?" he bragged. "Even Bats must know it's true. Did you see the look on his face when he saw Supes and Wondy in the corner alone together? He wanted to tear Superman into tiny Boy Scout cookie bits."

"Wally, even you should know better than to believe any of the rumors you hear on the Watchtower," John shook his head in disbelief. "And it's the Girl Scouts who sell cookies, not the Boy Scouts."

"If Di was pregnant with Clark's baby, she would have told me," Shayera hissed at him with a glare hot enough to cause instantaneous combustion. "And if I find out that you are responsible for perpetuating such a nasty rumor about them, you will find my mace in a not so nice place, Speedy."

Flash visibly gulped with her threat, sinking low in his chair. "But that thing has sharp points on it!"

"That's the idea," Shayera scowled angrily at him.

"Sheesh," Wally sighed like a petulant child. "I'm just telling you what I heard. No need to go all Thanagarian badass on me or anything."

Shayera cast a glance at the two Metas sitting cozily in the corner, watching as they laughed about something Clark had said, their heads close together in a covert manner that raised more questions than answers.

She did have to admit that something was definitely going on with the two best friends. She wasn't sure what, but she was going to get to the bottom of it…if not for Di's sake than for the tall dark and brooding Bat who was obviously having trouble controlling his jealousy over it.

XXX

Batman stalked towards the Monitor Womb, a cup of hot coffee gripped tightly in his hand almost to the point of shattering it. Leaguers standing in the hallways quickly leapt out of his way, turning and walking in the opposite direction or completely freezing where they stood in an effort to preserve their lives.

All whispers came to an abrupt halt, faces frozen in obvious guilt as if they had just been caught by a parent. All equally feared the repercussions of being discovered gossiping about the Trinity, especially when the most terrifying of said Trinity was marching past them with a hostile death glare that could melt steel faster than Superman's heat vision could ever hope to.

Everyone knew he'd been in a foul mood all week, even more so than was usual for him and therefore everyone had been creating a very wide berth around him. Fear was a very powerful thing…but even more so when it was being generated by the Dark Knight of Gotham who could make bladders unexpectedly release with nothing more than a single flickering glower.

Despite the sneer that twisted his lips, Batman couldn't quite contain the slight pleased smile that caused the one corner of his mouth to twitch minutely as Leaguers immediately moved out of his way like Moses parting the mighty Red Sea, giving him a clear path to his intended destination.

Approaching two heroines, he suddenly caught bits of gossip as he drew upon an unsuspecting Fire and Ice, hearing something about Superman sleeping with Wonder Woman. It took nearly every single ounce of self-restraint he possessed not to crush his cup in his fist, his anger flaring even hotter than a nuclear reactor.

If he didn't get some answers about what the hell was going on between Diana and Kent, he was going to implode. He'd had little to no sleep all week ever since catching Diana and Superman having a very private conversation several days ago. They had appeared a little too cozy for his liking, a smile on Diana's lips that he didn't want anyone to put there but him.

It also didn't help that the damned rumor mill on the Watchtower had been running over time since then, superheroes gossiping like old women in a beauty parlor. Their whispers seemed to follow him everywhere he went only to suddenly dissipate into a very tense silence that could be cut with a knife whenever someone noticed him approaching.

Finally entering the Monitor Womb, Batman growled under his breath as he spotted Green Arrow and Black Canary looking far too intimate, Dinah sitting on Ollie's lap as they chatted softly. He cursed to himself as he drew near, his cup finally meeting its demise as scalding coffee spilled all over his gauntleted hand. What was this? The Love Boat of outer space?

"Oh hey, Bats," Ollie nonchalantly greeted him as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "We were just talking about you."

"You too?" Batman rasped with that deep threatening timbre that sent a terrified shudder through the most hardened of criminals. "It seems to me everyone should find something better to talk about around here."

"So you've heard it too then?" Dinah asked, sitting up straighter in Ollie's lap.

Batman folded his arms against his chest, his jaw clenched in anger. "Is it about Diana?"

"Yes," Ollie and Dinah replied in unison.

"Then no," he bit out, his tone icier than ever. "Whatever it is, I don't want to know and I don't care."

"You can deny it all you want, Bruce," Ollie grinned knowingly at him. "Everyone knows you're in love with Diana."

"I am not and don't call me that while we're on the Watchtower."

"So you don't care that Diana's pregnant?" Canary revealed.

If Black Canary would've had her phone on her, she would have captured the most priceless expression of stunned disbelief she'd ever seen on the Batman's face. For a brief moment, she was almost scared for her life, not sure whether he was going to finally lose it and demolish the entire Monitor Womb or actually break down in tears.

"Really sorry you missed the boat on that one, Brucie," Ollie told him apologetically. "Seems old Supes beat you to it…knocked up your Amazon."

Batman clenched his jaw even tighter, his balled up hands beginning to cramp with the tension that was building in them. His heart felt as though it was thundering in his chest, his blood suddenly rushing in his ears making him lightheaded.

Without a single word, he turned and stormed from the Monitor Womb, his black cape snapping wildly behind him, leaving Ollie and Dinah shaking their heads in dismay for the Gotham vigilante who had missed out on love again.

XXX

Finally safe in his sanctuary in the batcave, Bruce sat down in his monitor chair with a huff, ripping his cowl off with a curse on his lips and a dark glower on his face. He leaned forward with his elbows on his desk, holding his pounding head in his hands. This week just kept getting worse and worse.

There was no way in hell that Diana was pregnant with Kent's baby. The thought was beyond ludicrous, so inconceivable that it almost made him laugh out loud. He of all people should know that the rumor mill on the Watchtower could never be trusted.

Still…

The evidence was beginning to pile up in Kent's favor and he didn't like it one bit. In fact, he loathed it, loathed the Kryptonian for stealing what was his…or what would have been his if he'd had the backbone to actually do something about it.

Diana and Clark had been spending an unusual amount of time together recently, having private conversations and keeping secrets. Diana had been extra happy recently as well; almost giddy about whatever it was the two of them were up to. On top of that, he hadn't gotten to talk to her all week, the Princess too busy with Superman.

Bruce sank back in his chair with a painfully heavy heart, a forlorn expression on his face. He thought he would've had more time, would've been able to first reconcile all of his fears and demons in his heart and mind, but his time had come and gone.

He couldn't have expected her to wait forever for him to deal with his issues before allowing her into his world, finally letting her know how he truly felt about her. She deserved better that that and she had found it in Clark Kent.

The Last Son of Krypton…the Man of Steel…the damned Hero of the World.

To be honest, it had always been one of his greatest fears, Diana choosing the bright and shiny Boy Scout over the vile darkness that he immersed himself in on a daily and nightly basis in Gotham. Now that it had finally happened, he found himself even more miserable than he thought was possible.

The sound of Alfred's steadily approaching footsteps could do little to pull him out of his tormented thoughts. He just wanted to be left alone right now to wallow in his misery that had been of his own making, the pain that was tearing his heart to shreds.

"Master Bruce…" Alfred began.

"Not now, Alfred," Bruce snapped, closing his eyes as he rested his head back against the headrest of his chair.

Alfred appraised him for a long moment, noting his haggard beleaguered appearance and immediately knowing that the Amazon Princess was the source for his sorry state. "Something happen with Miss Diana?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Alfred," Bruce coldly stated, his brow furrowing even further.

"Very well, Sir," Alfred replied. "Then maybe talking to Miss Lane might help ease your troubles. She's on the phone right now requesting to talk to you."

Bruce's eyes flew open, sitting upright in his chair as if he'd just been electrocuted, his stomach dropping into his boots. Lois. She would know what was going on between Diana and Clark, if Kent was truly cheating on her. He felt a sudden wave of relief wash over him.

"Thank you, Alfred," he told him, his spirits suddenly buoyed. "I'll take it here."

Alfred simply nodded his head as Bruce picked up the phone. "Lois?" he said, his voice all Bruce Wayne and nothing like the Bat.

"Bruce," she responded.

The relief in her voice was almost palpable, her anxiety more than evident. It was so unlike the usually hard as nails reporter that he had dated at one time, so confident and brass, not caring who she offended or trampled over as long as she got her story.

"What's wrong, Lois?" he asked with a frown, sitting forward and trying hard to keep his own fear and desperation out of his voice. It felt like his heart was about to pound right out of his chest in anticipation of her next words.

Here it came…

"It's Clark," she unexpectedly sobbed into the phone. "I think he's cheating on me."

And there it went…right out the window along with his hope as well as his heart…

Bruce sat there for a long moment, his shoulders slumping, his entire body taut with dread as her words slowly began to sink in. His worst fear was suddenly becoming a reality and there wasn't anything he could do to change it. It was like watching a horrific train wreck taking place, one that carried his heart and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He had lost his Princess to the Man of Steel.

He had a death grip on the phone as he worked to tamp down on his volatile emotions, the ones that wanted to shove the kryptonite that he kept in his utility belt down Clark's throat for stealing not only the woman he loved, but her purity as well.

Fighting back the fear that was unexpectedly clenching his throat, Bruce forced himself to take slow deep breaths. He found that he suddenly wanted to crawl into a very dark hole and never come out.

"Bruce?" she called his name, tears evident in his voice. "Bruce, are you still there? Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes…sorry, Lois," he softly said, struggling to find his voice once more. "Are you sure about this?"

"He's been very distant all week," she frantically explained. "He's broken several of our dates, saying that he had something he had to take care of. He's been very aloof, making phone calls to someone, but won't tell me who."

"Lois, Clark loves you," Bruce attempted to reassure her with a conviction that he wasn't feeling at that moment, not with his heart lying in jagged pieces in his chest. "He would never cheat on you."

"Bruce, I think it's Diana," she angrily spat out, the tears suddenly gone. "I should've seen this coming. I've always been suspicious of their close friendship. He told me she was like a sister to him so I kept my mouth shut about it and now I've lost him to her."

"You don't know that, Lois," Bruce tried again, his tone hardening.

"What have you noticed?" she demanded to know. "You see them together all the time on the Watchtower. Have you noticed anything about them?"

Bruce's eyes fell closed with her questions, not liking where all of this was leading. The evidence was growing by the minute and it made him want to vomit. His head was about to explode.

"Bruce?" she yelled into the phone. "What aren't you telling me?"

"It's nothing, Lois," he snapped. "You're overreacting."

"You don't sound convinced of that at all, Bruce," she shouted, her panic rising in proportion with her anger and jealousy. "I want you to set up a meeting between me and Diana. I want to have it out with that Amazon slut once and for all!"

"Lois!" Bruce growled. "You don't know anything yet. All you have circumstantial evidence. That's no reason to attack Diana."

"So you're taking her side in this?"

Bruce had to pull the receiver away from his ear as she screamed profanities that would make a crusty old sailor blush, calling Diana every vulgar name in the book that she could think up and he was pretty sure making up some new ones as well.

"I'm not taking Diana's side!" he finally yelled to halt her tirade.

"What is it about her? Does she have every single male hero on that damned Watchtower in love with her? What's so special about her? Is she doing everyone up there for free?" she continued to rant. "You're probably in love with her too!"

"I'm not in love with Diana!" he maintained, his jaw clenched so tight the muscles were beginning to cramp. "And don't talk about Diana like she's some slut, Lois. You don't know her. She's nothing like that...nothing at all."

"Wow, Bruce," Lois spat out with derision. "You do it have it bad, don't you? It must hurt knowing my boyfriend is doing the woman you love."

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering how this whole nightmare had spiraled so far out of control. "Look, I'll see what I can find out about Clark," he finally told her, forcing himself to ignore her crude remark about Diana and Kent. "In the meantime, don't do anything stupid like trying to take on an Amazon." There was a very long pregnant pause. "Lois…promise me."

"Fine," she finally stated, her scowl evident over the phone. "Goodbye, Bruce."

Bruce hung up the phone with a shaky hand, feeling as though his world had just crumbled down around him. Rubbing his face with his hands, he felt as though he'd just tangled with Bane, all the life being sucked right out of him.

"Master Bruce," Alfred's gentle voice filled his ears.

Bruce didn't have the energy to even lift his head at that moment, too afraid he would only end up breaking down in sobs. He hadn't cried since his parent's funeral and he refused to shed any tears now. Diana was gone and that was all there was to it. He was going to have to learn to accept it.

"Master Bruce, might I offer you a piece of advice?" Alfred said.

"Might as well," he sighed heavily. "I have nothing else left to lose."

"Things aren't always what they appear to be," Alfred suggested to him. "I think that you of all people would remember that."

Bruce slowly straightened up; his hands falling away from his face as he finally looked at his surrogate father, the man who meant more to him than he could begin to comprehend. "You think it's all just a coincidence?"

"All I'm saying is that all might not be truly lost yet," he replied. "You might want to consider talking to Miss Diana herself, hear her side of the story before jumping to any conclusions."

"Maybe I don't want to hear what she has to say," he softly admitted, his gaze falling to the floor of the cave. "Maybe I'm too scared of what she'll tell me."

"At least you'll know the truth then instead of swimming in this dreadful sea of uncertainty and anguish," he told him. "Besides, I have a feeling you will learn this was nothing more than a grave misunderstanding."

Bruce's gaze immediately narrowed in suspicion as he studied the British butler before him. "Do you know something you're not telling me?"

"Let's just say that I have noticed the way a certain Amazon Princess looks at you with nothing but love and desire in her eyes every time she's near you," he informed him. "You'd notice it too if you'd get your head out of your arse long enough to pay the woman even a little bit of the attention she truly deserves."

"But…the mission," Bruce began with a scowl, shaking his head as logic fought to take over what beat in his heart.

"Pardon me, Master Bruce, but damn the mission," Alfred firmly stated. "For just once, allow yourself to have a little bit of happiness in your life. I promise you that you won't regret it and I think you'll even find that your mission just might be all the better for it."

Bruce studied the dignified man for a long moment, pondering what Alfred had just said. He suddenly found that his heart wasn't quite as heavy as it had been just moments ago, his words giving him the kick in the ass that he had so desperately needed.

Alfred always had a way of doing that for him. It was frustrating as hell.

"Talk to her tomorrow after you've had a chance to calm down, Master Bruce," Alfred gently told him before finally turning and leaving him alone with his thoughts once more.

XXX

Batman flew through the Watchtower like a violent tornado with a definite destination and purpose in mind. He had a tabloid and a newspaper clutched tightly in his fist, a ferocious sneer set firmly on his face that grew more vicious with every pounding step he took.

Every Leaguer in his way ducked for cover, fleeing the area before being sucked up into the black vortex of brooding anger and jealousy that had suddenly appeared on the transporter pad just moments ago. The Batman was on the warpath and heaven help anyone who got in his way.

Ignoring all the horrified stares, the whispered gasps and questioning looks, the Dark Knight stalked trough the Tower straight for the commissary, knowing how much Diana loved her afternoon iced mocha breaks. Entering, he found that there were only a couple of Leaguers present, neither of them the Amazon Princess.

The two superheroes that were in the commissary quickly grabbed their food and made a swift exit, not wanting to be around the obviously irate Batman. They'd heard rumors of villains who had ended up in intensive care after an encounter with the Dark Knight and they were not about to be added to the list.

Not finding who he wanted, he touched his commlink. "J'onn," he barked. "Where's Diana?"

"She's was on a mission in Guatemala, but it seems that she has just requested transport back to the Watchtower," J'onn informed him. "Want me to tell her you're looking for her."

"No…Batman out," he managed to snap before ending the transmission.

The Caped Crusader made a beeline for the transportation room, needing to talk to her before he lost the last shred of sanity that he was barely clinging to. Entering the transport room, he immediately zeroed in on his prey like a ravenous lion on a beautiful gazelle...a beautiful gazelle that had startlingly seen much better days from the looks of it.

Appearing on the pad, Diana looked as if she'd quite literally been to hell and back, her raven hair windswept and tousled in such a way that somehow only managed to make her look sexier if that was even possible. She was covered head to toe in dirt and soot, cuts and bruises too many to count, causing his worry for her to immediately spike.

She looked as though she had wrestled with an active volcano and lost badly and yet she still managed to take his breath away. Damn her.

"Batman," she nodded her head to the stunned superhero as she stepped down off the transport pad, acting as if she always looked this way.

She walked past him, too tired to even bothering asking him what he was doing there waiting for her. All she wanted at that moment was a shower and her bed…maybe even an iced mocha if she could actually cajole her body into cooperating long enough to make it to the commissary and back.

She could hear the familiar powerful strike of his boots against the steel floor alerting her to the fact that he was following her. He was obviously intent on speaking with her, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.

She'd barely seen him all week, too busy with Clark and missions for much of anything else. She had truly missed him these last several days and was anxious to spend some time with him…or as much time as he ever let her spend with him, but she was just too tired right now even for him.

"Princess," he rasped as he quickened his pace to catch up to her, suddenly remembering why he had been searching for her in the first place.

"Batman," she replied as she paused to turn towards him. "Whatever it is, it's going to have to wait. I'm filthy, I'm exhausted, and I'm positive I have volcanic ash in places that it shouldn't be so if you'll excuse me..."

"This can't wait, Princess," he deadpanned, keeping his face impassive despite how much her comment had actually amused him.

Staring at him, she could tell by the tension in his jaw and the sharp edge to his voice that he wasn't going to let it go whatever it was until he'd gotten it off of his chest. "Fine," she sighed wearily. "Come with me."

Batman followed her to her quarters, too captivated by her nearness as well as what he needed to talk to her about to notice that they were going to be alone together in her room. Pausing at the door of her quarters, he watched as she entered the code that he'd memorized years ago, waiting for entrance.

Entering, she turned towards him, her hands falling to her hips. "What's going on?"

"Care to explain this?" he demanded, throwing her a crumpled up tabloid that looked as if it had been chewed on by a dog, a corner of it completely torn off by someone.

Catching it, Diana managed to smooth it out enough to find a picture of Superman and Wonder Woman kissing passionately. She began to giggle as she stared at the picture, causing Bruce to growl low in his throat. Looking up, she noticed how much darker his mood had suddenly gotten. He was jealous…and very, very angry.

"Bruce, this obviously isn't real," she chuckled. "This doesn't even look like me."

"Did you read it?"

"Wonder Woman Pregnant with Superman's Baby," she read out loud, her voice still laced with amusement. "I wonder how they could have found out about it."

"It's true?!" he growled, taking a furious step forward.

"Hera, no, Bruce," she said, tilting her head as she studied the picture. "Funny…last month, I was supposedly pregnant with your baby."

Bruce released a relieved breath with this unexpected revelation, his heart starting to finally beat again although the thought of Diana pregnant with his baby made it stutter with sudden excitement that he hadn't anticipated. He wasn't certain he wanted to dwell on that thought right at that moment.

"And what about this?" he demanded, keeping his voice even as he handed her a crumpled up newspaper.

Taking the paper, Diana saw a picture of her and Clark going into a Metropolis jewelry store. "It's just me and Kal," she smiled at the picture, remembering yesterday fondly. "What's there to explain?"

"Read the headlines, Princess," he snapped, pointing accusingly to the top of the paper, ready to slap a scarlet letter on her for her deception and for picking Kent over him.

In large letters it read "Wonder Woman Spotted at Jewelry Store with Metropolis Reporter".

"Ok," she shrugged as she handed the papers back to him. Settling on the edge of her bed with a heavy sigh, she began to remove her boots. "What do you want me say, Bruce?"

"Are you and Kent having an affair?"

Diana's blue eyes suddenly narrowed as she studied him, the humor abruptly disappearing from her face as anger set in. "Why would you even ask me something like that?" she angrily demanded to know as she leapt to her feet. He actually believed the tabloid was true.

"Just answer me, Princess," he snarled, his anger and jealousy getting the better of him.

"I don't owe you any explanation," she shot back. "You're not my boyfriend or my husband so I don't believe I owe you anything. That's the way you wanted it…isn't it, Bruce?"

Her words were like a stinging slap to his face, the reality of it hurting more than he cared to admit. Before he knew it, he was closing the distance between them, standing toe to toe with the beautiful Amazon Princess.

"You're not denying it," he spat out, his every muscle rigid with the intensity of his emotions storming through him at that moment.

"Why do you care so much, Bruce?" she bit out, her blues eyes flashing with that fiery Amazonian pride and stubbornness that he had come to love so much about her.

"Just answer me!" he yelled at her, his chest beginning to heave with the fury pounding within.

"Go to Tartarus, Bruce!" she yelled back. "And while you're at it, get out of my quarters!"

Diana began to turn away from him only to be brought to a stop by the feel of a hand grabbing hold of hers. She paused to calm her anger and hurt, trying to fight the overwhelming urge to punch him through a wall before allowing herself to turn around to face the jerk.

"Please…Diana…" he finally softly pleaded, his voice so desperate and broken that it startled her.

Turning around, she found that he had removed his cowl, his piercing blue eyes filled with such unmasked heartache that it took her breath away. She'd never seen him look this vulnerable, this open before her. It left her speechless as she lost herself in his beautiful eyes.

Bruce absentmindedly brushed his thumb against the back of Diana's hand, knowing there was no going back now. "I…I just have to know…please," he whispered, his heart beginning to pound even harder in anticipation of her answer.

Diana didn't think she'd ever heard him say please before as Batman nor had it ever been uttered with such a desperate pleading tone to it. This whole misunderstanding had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, allowing her to finally break through his walls and she wasn't about to back down now.

Closing the distance between them, she pulled her hand free from his to cradle his face. "Why, Bruce?" she sternly demanded to know.

Staring into her cobalt eyes brimming with love, Bruce found the last thread of his defenses completely snapping. He was in a free fall now, praying that she would catch him. "Because I love you, Diana," he softly replied, not backing down from her intense gaze.

He watched as a radiant smile slowly spread across her face, her eyes shining brighter than the rarest of jewels. If admitting his love for her was all it took to make that magnificent expression appear on her face then he'd tell her he loved her every single day for as long as there was breath in his body. He suddenly discovered that making her happy made him even happier still.

"I love you too, Bruce," she murmured, her voice choked with emotion.

Bruce leaned in slowly, his lips lightly grazing hers. She sighed as his mouth began moving hungrily over hers, the feel of his arms drawing her closer making her heart skip a beat. The kiss deepened, becoming a little more heated with every caress, every gasping moan that filled the room as they began to surrender to each other.

He wanted her…now.

Reluctantly pulling back, Bruce pressed his forehead against hers as he struggled to catch his breath, Diana fighting to do the same. "I think I need a shower," she breathed heavily, her hand caressing his face.

Bruce groaned with the thought of her naked in the shower, his fingers digging into her shoulders that he already had a death grip on. "I'm thinking that maybe I should take you to the infirmary to be checked out instead," he frowned, his concern for her momentarily overshadowing his crushing desire.

"I'm fine, Bruce," she insisted, pausing to enjoy the taste of his lips once more. "Just a few cuts and scrapes…but maybe you should check me out yourself just to make sure."

Diana suddenly pulled away from him, turning and heading towards her bathroom, leaving him standing there slack-jawed and aroused beyond belief. She didn't even pause to check if he was following her or not as she entered the bathroom, turning on the water in her shower before removing her uniform.

Stepping under the steamy waterfall, the Amazon closed her eyes as she allowed the water to flow over her. She stretched her neck, trying to work all of the kinks out her sore muscles as she began to wash her hair, her exhaustion all but forgotten in the wake of Bruce's admission.

Turning beneath the shower head, she opened her eyes to find the man who had been haunting her dreams for far too long standing there watching her…completely nude.

His piercing blue eyes were the darkest that she had ever seen them, his lips slightly parted as he fought to catch his breath, his heated gaze raking over her and not hiding the fact that he wanted her…badly. She could hear the powerful hammering of his heart as he studied her, his body visibly responding to what he was seeing which was the most beautiful, most exquisite creature he'd ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on.

Without wasting another second, Bruce stepped into the shower with her, coming to stand directly before her. His gaze wandered over her face as his fingers found her hair, continuing to rub the shampoo into the silky raven strands.

Diana's eyes fell closed, a soft moan slipping past her lips with the feel of his fingers massaging her scalp. It felt like paradise as his lips suddenly found hers once more. This time the kiss was sweet and slow, but no less heated. Just passionate in a different, more tender way.

Using his tongue, he urged her to part her lips, anxious for more of her. She happily complied, welcoming him in and savoring his taste all over again as his tongue did battle with hers for control. It was exciting and arousing in a way she'd never imagined, hinting at so much more to come between them.

Bruce wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him as the water continued to cascade over them. The kiss continued to deepen until they were both left panting and wanting more, tongues dueling and limbs tangling as they explored what they had only been able to in their dreams.

Diana felt Bruce back her up against the wall of her shower, the feel of him fully pressing against her sending a shiver through her as he suddenly ground his hips against hers. The feel of his arousal so hot and hard and demanding against her belly left her aching for more.

Bruce ran his hands down her arms, lacing his fingers with her. He slowly lifted her arms above her head, pinning her against the shower wall as he tilted his head to devour her mouth. The tentative sweetness was swiftly replaced by something hotter and far more primal.

Diana gasped sharply as his mouth left hers to begin a merciless assault along her jaw and down her throat, a definite destination firmly set in mind. She had been teasing him with her incredible body, the enticing cleavage that her uniform revealed hinting at the perfect bounty beneath.

And now he was going to thoroughly enjoy that prize to his heart's content for as long as he lived. There was absolutely nothing in this world that he wanted more than he wanted this goddess in his arms. She was the epitome of everything pure and good and radiant and he wanted it…wanted her all to himself, never to belong to another.

Diana pressed the back of her head against the shower wall, her mouth falling open with a cry of ecstasy as his mouth found her breast and began to tease it relentlessly. Everything inside of her screamed out to force him to release her arms from above her head so she could touch him too, but the way that he had her trapped so possessively against the shower wall seemed to only heighten her pleasure beyond anything she'd ever imagined possible.

"Bruce," she gasped, her body trembling with what he was doing to her.

Holding her arms up over her head by her wrists with one hand, Bruce used his other hand to massage and stroke her breast as his mouth did the same thing to the other one. He could hardly believe this was really happening, his afternoon not turning out at all like he had planned when he woke up this morning, but he couldn't have been any happier about it.

Finally leaving her breasts, he began to kiss and caress each and every cut and bruise on her perfect body as if apologizing for not being there to keep her from harm. He was setting her body on fire with a flame that had been lit within long ago by him but only now was finally being allowed to fully ignite, every fiber of her being demanding more.

"Please…Bruce…" she chanted over and over again, her head rolling back and forth as her chest heaved.

Releasing her hands, he gripped her thighs, lifting her up to wrap around his waist. He kissed her hard as he began to push inside of her, the feel of her so hot and tight around him nearly sending him over the edge and making his head spin.

He gasped, crying out her name as she took him fully inside of her. She pressed her forehead against his shoulder, her breathing ragged as she fought past the pain of her first time. This was better than anything she'd ever dreamed about, the feeling of sharing something so intimate and passionate with him causing tears to sting her eyes, but she quickly banished them as he began to move his hips.

She kissed along his collarbone as he moved within her, setting a slow pace as he nudged her hair with his nose in an effort to find her throat again. His mouth latched onto her neck near her collarbone, raking his teeth over her flesh before sucking hard and leaving his mark behind.

Diana hissed with the pleasant sensation, knowing he was marking her as his. For some reason, it didn't bother her in the least, making her want him that much more. The belonged to each other now and neither was going to let go…ever.

Gripping her shoulders tightly, he began to move harder, his thrusts growing more aggressive...possessive as he delved deeper. She felt his love with every drive of his hips into hers, the feel of his mouth against her shoulder and collarbone.

She looped her arms around his shoulders, tightening her hold on him for fear of being swept away by the intensity of their love making. His grunts filled her ears as passion pounded wildly through her veins, her heart thundering in her chest with what she felt for this amazing man.

She suddenly came with a scream, his own intense release following a few short moments later. He sagged against her, keeping her pinned to the wall as he placed gentle kisses along her cheekbone, not ever wanting this moment to end.

"Wow," she panted heavily. "That's the best shower…I think I've ever had."

"It was for me too," he breathlessly agreed with a smirk, his chest still heaving as he released her legs from around his waist.

Diana pushed him back beneath the showerhead, kissing him passionately as she reached for the soap. Although amazing, she was anxious to get him out of her shower and into her bed where she could have her way with him as well.

XXX

Diana lay in her bed snuggled up against Bruce, using his muscular chest as a pillow. They had made love two more times after finally exiting the shower and somehow finding their way to her bed. A thought suddenly occurred to her as she pressed her lips to his skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat from their energetic activities.

"Are my quarters soundproof?" she suddenly asked, hooking her leg over his.

Bruce chuckled something deep and throaty with her question, causing them both to shake gently as he tightened his hold on her. "I think it's a little late to ask now, don't you, Princess?"

"Well, I just happened to think of it," she thoughtfully replied. "I guess everyone on the Watchtower now knows what you and I have been doing in here. That ought to fuel the rumor mill for a good month at least."

"For as many times as you screamed my name, I'm surprised the whole world doesn't know my identity by now," he teased her, his fingers finding her ribs to tickle her side.

Swatting his hand away, Diana sat up with a frown, leaning on her elbow to look down at him. "I don't believe I was the only one screaming and creating a ruckus all by myself, Bruce Wayne," she reminded him, poking him in the chest. "There were a couple of times when I thought we were going to break the headboard. It's a good thing that Kal's not in his quarters right now or he'd have been over here wondering what was repeatedly banging against his wall."

"Point taken, Princess," he grinned at her, his smile unexpectedly falling away as his fingers reached up to hook a raven curl behind her ear, losing himself in the blue eyes he adored. "I was so scared that I had lost you."

"You didn't really have me to lose, but you definitely have me now," Diana replied, caressing his cheek to reassure him. "I'm not in love with Kal, Bruce. How could I be when you've had my heart all along?"

"Yah, but I didn't know that for certain," Bruce frowned with the reminder of the week of pure hell that he'd just been through. "What's really been going on between you and Kent anyways?"

"I was helping Kal plan his proposal to Lois tonight," she informed him, her fingers stroking the short black hair along his forehead. "He wanted my help so he did it right. He was so worried he was going to mess it up."

Stunned once again, the Dark Knight wondered how on earth he'd managed to miss the obvious clues. Deep down, he regretfully knew how. He'd let his jealousy and anger get in the way of the painfully obvious, allowing his emotions to cloud his judgment.

Or his infinite love for her had made things that much clearer, finally opening his eyes and forcing him to see what he needed, what he had wanted in his life all along. He guessed it was the little push that he had needed to finally make her his.

Diana could see the relief washing over his handsome face, awkwardness clouding his blue eyes. "You were jealous weren't you, Bruce?"

"I guess it was kind of obvious wasn't it?" he said with a heavy sigh, feeling rather pathetic for how he'd acted.

A pair of hands on his face forced him to look up at her as she suddenly moved to straddle him, her cobalt eyes seeming to reveal her very soul to him. "I found it rather sexy," she confessed with a small smirk. "In an infuriatingly egotistical kind of way, of course."

"Of course," he murmured, particularly aware of all the amazing places that their bodies were fully touching each others.

Slipping his hand behind her head, Bruce responded with a deep kiss, one that made her feel as though she was floating, her heart taking wings. Diana smiled longingly at him as she rested her head over his heart, listening to the steady thump-thump that she had come to love and now knew that it truly belonged to her. She just prayed to the gods that this wasn't just some magnificent dream.

She could scarcely believe what had happened between them this afternoon. She never would have guessed when she woke up this morning that she would be ending her day with Bruce Wayne himself, the Dark Knight naked in her bed.

Bruce repeatedly ran his fingers through her long raven hair that he loved, his other arm wrapped protectively around her to keep here where she was on top of him. He lay there savoring the incredible feeling of her body perfectly lined up over his, their legs tangled together. He loved the feel of her lying over him like this, their bodies seemingly made for one another as they molded together as one.

"Come to the Manor for dinner with me tonight," he told her.

"Won't that create a lot of rumors on the Watchtower if people find out I'm beaming to Batman's home?" she asked, resting her chin on his chest to gaze into his eyes.

"Let them talk," he smirked at her as he caressed her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. "I'd much rather have them whispering about you and me then you and Kent."

"Heard something you didn't particularly care for?" she grinned at him, her eyes shining with amusement.

"You could say that," he frowned, his thoughts taking him back to the whispers he'd heard in the corridor yesterday.

"Let them whisper all they want," she told him. "I've finally got what I love most and that's all that matters in the world to me."

Tightening his hold on her, Bruce suddenly flipped his gorgeous lover onto her back, pinning her to the mattress. He leaned in close, his lips finding her ear. "I love you too, Princess," he whispered before he began kissing her senseless all over again.

Meanwhile, new whispers were swiftly running rampant like an uncontrollable wildfire through the Watchtower after a certain dark vigilante of Gotham had been spotted entering the Amazon Princess's quarters…and not leaving.

And in the Monitor Womb, a certain green Martian was collecting his winnings from the Scarlet Speedster on a bet that had been placed well over a year ago…

**THE END (Continued in Baby Makes Three)**


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